Equal Rights Amendment - Obama's ace in the whole?

[lsusteel]

Just a little idea of mine.

I wonder if Obama could coax a lot of the angry Hillary supporters who say they won't support him (a large number of women, incidentally) and attract new voters by pushing for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Republicans have been lukewarm at best on the amendment, with some outright rejecting it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment

It was an issue for Reagan in 1980.

November: Exit polls on election day show that for the first time ever recorded, men and women vote quite differently in the race. AP/NBC News reports that men backed Reagan by a 56- 36% edge, but women split their votes 47-45%. Pollsters later indicate that for women, the issue of women's rights and ERA had a significant impact on their votes. By March 1981, leading pollsters are claiming "Ronald Reagan has a woman problem" on ERA.

If Obama could make it part of his platform - "I promise I will make every effort to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed" - he could force Republicans' hand on the issue. If they say "yeah, that's a great idea," he gets the benefit of looking like a leader. If they say "no" for any reason, they come across looking like the party who doesn't want equal rights, which plays right into the stereotype many people already have of Repubs.

Mccain out against an amendment termed "the Equal Rights Amendment" would be political suicide (particularly in the current political climate), but coming out for it could end up hurting Mccain even more with the conservative base.

Could be a nice little political stunt. I doubt it will happen, but if done right, it could destroy Mccain and finish off the Republicans in their current form.

[Darth_Kitten]

1. oh, right, appease women with stunts. Nice.

:(

[lsusteel]

2. Well...

It can be both a stunt and sincere. A stunt in that it's not at the forefront of most voters minds right now so would have to be dug up, but I have no doubt Obama and most other Dems sincerely would like to pass it.

And like it or not, the entire political process has been about stunts since September 7, 1964 (bonus points if you can name what happened on that date).

[Darth_Kitten]

6. LOL.......the whole political process since Day 1 has been about stunts.....

I guess. :)

[Peace Patriot]

9. Gulf of Tonkin? nt

[lsusteel]

13. Nope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_(television_commercial)

[Boz]

7. But wouldn't it be a cunning stunt?

Isn't all politics an organized stunt

[lsusteel]

8. Yep

But it can also be sincere.

Two birds, one stone.

[loyalsister]

17. He's prbably well aware of the 3 state strategy

Illinois is one of the 15 states that has no ratified the Equal Rights Amendment and it was probably targeted by NOW.

http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/faq.htm

[slinkerwink]

3. He supports equal pay for women. McCain just voted against the Equal Pay bill a month ago.

[lsusteel]

4. Yep

Revive the Equal Rights Amendment. People won't even care what it says. They'll be like, "Shit. Mccain doesn't support equal rights?"

It could be brilliant.

[Hatchling]

5. It would certainly make me think better about him. nt

[Peace Patriot]

10. I think it's a great idea! You shouldn't dis it by calling it a "political stunt."

That implies insincerity. It's actually a WELL-TIMED idea. If we'd had the Equal Rights Amendment, all of the BUSHITES' political stunts--putting anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion items on ballots, for instance, to bring out the knuckledraggers--could not have happened. The chance that a minority view could be imposed on the majority would go away, and its insincere aspects, by the Pukes (you really think Bush, Cheney and Exxon Mobil give a damn?), would be neutralized. It would be the law of the land.

I like it. I like it a lot! It would enthuse many Hillary supporters whose main concern, in supporting Hillary, is women's rights. It would interest many Republican women. It has almost NO DOWNSIDE, as an issue, and lot of UP!

[Politicub]

11. It has a great name

Who could be against an equal rights amendment except the knuckledraggers? It's the perfect antidote to the vile anti-gay marriage amendment talk.

I say bring it back and make it an issue. Harness the energy from his supporters that Obama has unleashed and bring fairness back.

:bounce:

:kick:

[sufrommich]

12. Believe me,the vast majority of female Clinton supporters,

myself included,are democrats and will vote for Obama without being lured to the voting booth with little political stunts. Where did this meme that female voters won't vote for Obama get started?

[lsusteel]

15. Exit polls

But such an issue would also woo independents while destroying Mccain, particularly if he comes out against it.

Even if he has legitimate concerns about it, as soon as he says "no" to an amendment titled "equal rights," people will be like "wtf?" They'll see the name "equal rights," hear Mccain doesn't support it, and boom, the damage is done.

How can I submit this idea directly to the Obama campaign?

[IndianaGreen]

14. ERA must also include equal rights for LGBTs

or else it is flawed.

[lsusteel]

16. You're missing the point

ERA including rights for LGBTs is a good way to LOSE an election. It's too divisive right now. It's something you wait until after you're elected to do.

However, ERA in its current form would be supported by pretty much everyone except the conservative base.

Disclaimer: I fully believe in LGBT rights, but making it a campaign issue just splits the electorate. Something like women's rights heavily favors the proponent of it. No one will want to vote for someone against something called "equal rights." Not too many people know about it.

Edit: THe ERA would provide a huge boost to gay rights as well. Think about it. "You can't do this because you're a lesbian." "But that's based on my gender, isn't it?"

[loyalsister]

19. Expanding it would kill it

The issue of civil rights for sexual orientation vs. sex itself are different.
One is understood in the context of relationships the other is defined by individual existance. There is no reason to try to justapose them and confuse the issues.
Simple legislation is a thing of beauty.


`Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

`Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

`Section 3. This article shall take effect 2 years after the date of ratification.'.

[madrchsod]

18. it`s up to the states not obama

he can express his opinion that it should be passed in the states but he can not "force" any state to do so..this is a states rights issue.

so if people want the ERA to become the law of the land then get enough states to pass it...

[lsusteel]

20. Obviously

But he can still work to make sure it at least gets heard.